California Almonds Hit a High Note at Food Technologist’s Conference

In June, the Almond Board of California (ABC) exhibited at the Annual Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Conference and Expo in Chicago. ABC represented California almonds at live demonstrations, talks during IFT’s scientific program and at a dedicated booth.

IFT is the largest food industry membership organization in the US, and this year’s conference boasted more than 15,000 attendees.

On the show floor, ABC showcased an array of trend-setting samples of almond treats, created by Chef Rob Corliss of All Things Epicurean. Each sample provided varying flavors and textures via ingredients such as florals and fruit and different almond forms including butter, milk and slivered. Attendees enjoyed products including Everything Almond Butter Spread, Moringa Almond Refresher, Mocha Goji Almond Crunch Bar and more.

During the three-day show, Chef Rob gave product developers and R&D professionals a deep-dive into the versatility of almonds during onsite California Almond Solution Sessions.

ABC also participated in Cooking Up Science, an event where Chef Rob provided recipe demos and technical insights. He focused on the formulas he used to maximize almond appeal in the Moringa Almond Refresher and Mocha Goji Almond Crunch Bar. Chef Rob also discussed the latest flavor and ingredient trends, and explained why almonds fare well among the very best.

Almond coproducts even made an appearance, featured in an IFTNEXT session titled, “The Future of Next Generation Food Waste: How the Almond Industry is Unleashing the Potential for Coproducts.” This presentation — featuring ABC’s Guangwei Huang, associate director, Food Research and Technology, and USDA’s Bill Orts, research leader, Bioproducts — explored research underway that result in almond coproducts (hulls and shells) being used to ferment beer, boost mushroom production, strengthen recycled plastics and even supplement honey bee and insect food.

Throughout the event, the IFT Conference and Expo covered a wealth of information on innovations exhibited by the almond industry. With much of our success depending on a steady demand for California almonds, ABC takes seriously opportunities to represent the industry and the product it produces to an audience of key food technology partners.

*Good news about almonds and heart health. Scientific evidence suggests, but does not prove, that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts, such as almonds, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease. One serving of almonds (28g) has 13g of unsaturated fat and only 1g of saturated fat.